By Glossopshark
October 22 2005

Back in the Heineken Cup, with high hopes for a better campaign than our other forays into Europe's top competition, which have all ended in the pool stage. Glossopshark climbs into his time machine and brings back a report that shows that games in the future will still be much as they are today.

The last time we crossed the Irish sea back in April we were greeted by glorious sunshine and several thousand very hospitable Connacht fans, who welcomed us into their pubs and bars.

Unfortunately, we could not provide the same clement conditions for our friends from Munster, but with their help we certainly provided a great atmosphere for the first game of the Heineken Cup 2205-2206.

The weather had been at its usual Manchester best all day and that had given the pitch more than a sheen of liquid on the top which many wise sages thought would mean constant handling mistakes and a very stop/start game.

However, this proved to be untrue as the outstanding defence of both sides was what really gave this game the feeling of a Heineken Cup special

Sale kicked off playing towards the mass ranks of the Cheadle End and straight from the kick-off the battle for control from the half backs began, when from turnover ball, Ronan O’Gara punted the ball deep into the Sale half with the ball eventually running into the dead ball area. This certainly left Sale in no doubt that the Munster game plan was not going to deviate from the norm of O’Gara’s boot behind an awesome Munster pack.

A clever restart by newly installed Scotland skipper, Jason White, allowed Charlie to pump the ball deep into Munster territory and after great work by Chris Jones to steal the lineout, Munster infringed at the following ruck and Charlie stepped up to give Sale the first points of their European adventure.

Another good tactical kick by Charlie and a poor kick from Munster fullback, Shaun Payne, gave Sale a good lineout position on the Munster 10 meter line and when Munster’s Alan Quinlan entered the maul from the side Sale were awarded another penalty which Charlie pushed wide of the right post and Munster were off the hook.

At this point the Munster pack started to get their act together and began to get the upper hand at the breakdown and from a lineout in the Sale half, Munster sprayed the ball left, but O’Gara’s drop goal drifted to the left of the uprights

The next 5 minutes saw the different kickers practicing their skills as the ball ping-ponged from end to end, before Big Ted was penalised for John Hayes inability to scrummage and O’Gara levelled it with a well-struck penalty.

With Sale putting pressure on the Munster set piece (yup, you heard right!) and Munster shading the breakdown area, the game was becoming an intrinsic battle between the forwards.

Good pressure again in the scrum saw John Hayes penalised and Charlie drove the Munster pack onto their own 5 meter line, and when Munster Transgressed at a ruck in front of the posts, Charlie kicked the simplest of penalties to give Sale a 6-3 lead.

Some great tactical kicking from both Charlie and Frank gave Sale field position, but Mick O’Driscoll and Alan Quinlan were imperious in the lineout for Munster and Sale could not capitalise.

Once again the Munster pack came back with renewed vigour and after sale had collapsed Munster’s very effective driving maul three times in a row, Fernando Lobbe was given a ten minute rest by the referee and from the ensuing lineout, Munster’s pack did what Munster do best and drove from the lineout and Frankie Sheehan went over for the try for the Limerick boys and O’Gara converted to give Munster a 10-6 lead.

The remainder of the first half was an exercise in discipline for Sale and with only 7 forwards against the very impressive Munster 8, Sale did very well not only in not conceding any further scores, which must have frustrated the men in red, but to win a penalty right at the end of the half which Charlie duly converted to cut the deficit to one point at the halfway stage.

With half time under their belts, the fans knew that they were in for a momentous second half, and if either set forwards were capable of gaining the upper hand, they would undoubtedly see out the game as winners, and it was Sale who laid down a very early marker.

It was Sebastian Chabal who took the kick off and a driving run set up the maul from which Martens hoisted the up and under.

The ball towered above Shaun Payne and it what was perfect timing, as the ball touched Payne’s fingers he was smashed into the ground by up and coming cult hero, The King.

The game was still in the balance when from a period of Munster possession, Mark Taylor ‘introduced’ himself to Ronan O’Gara by taking the Munster Pivot out of the game and was awarded a penalty, which he duly converted to make the score 13-9

From the re-start, Sale’s pack, with Seabass in the vanguard, drove the ball deep into Munster territory and when Sheridan turned over possession, Sale were on the attack.

Sale battered at the Munster line and when Frankie Sheehan was penalised for playing the ball on the ground, referee Joel Jutge, finally lost patients with Munster’s slowing down at the breakdown and showed the Munster man the yellow card.

Hodgson kicked the penalty to cancel out the earlier O’Gara effort

This was exactly what Sale needed and this gave them the impetus to take the game by the scruff of the neck, and signalled the intention in the tight when Sebastian Bruno, considered as one of the best scrummaging hookers in the premiership, replaced the excellent Andy Titterell.

Sale began to exert even more control in the tight phases and when sale were awarded a penalty in the Munster half, the decision to kick for touch and not for goal, left Munster in no doubt of what Sale’s game plan would be.

Munster infringed again and Sale decided to try and make the extra man advantage, by taking a scrum, but when the scrum was wheeled, the ball was turned over by the red men and it looked as though Sale had lost their advantage, but a messy affair by Munster at the base of the scrum, allowed the quick thinking Martens to drop on the ball over the line for the try which was converted by Charlie, to give Sale a 19-13 lead.

Many felt this was the turning point as Sale began to dominate the most areas of the game and with Hodgson and Cueto kicking like dreams, Sale began to exert more pressure.

A very unfortunate knee injury to Steve Hanley meant that Jason Robinson moved left and ‘Le Jim’ took his place at fullback.

Both teams were defending like Trojans as they looked for chinks in each other’s armour, but both sides stood firm in what was a titanic struggle with both Seabass and Big Ted at the forefront.

And it the 76th minute, Sale pole axed Munster with a killer try, which showed just why defences are so important.

From their fifth phase of play, the Irish international Peter Stringer, flung out a long pass to replacement prop Pucciarello, and coming at pace, he met one Sebastian Seabass, who picked the 18-stone international prop clean off his feet and when the ball popped into Hodgson’s hands and he put in a lovely kick for Jason Robinson to chase and the Sale captain beat 3 Munster defenders to the try line and fell onto the ball, to give sale not only an 11 point lead, but also the try that foiled Munster in their attempt to secure a bonus point.

At 24-13, Sale had to weather 8 minutes of injury time and a Munster onslaught, before clearing their lines and when Munster infringed, Chabal dictated to Charlie that he kicked the points (well would you argue with him!) which he duly converted and Sale ran out 27-13 winners.

So, for the second week running, Sale ‘win ugly’ and show the doubting Thomas’s of European rugby that they now have the ‘Ros Bif’ to match the Bordeaux!